Grinding Gear Games’ upcoming ARPG Path of Exile 2 (PoE2) continues to evolve as the developers refine both its campaign structure and the systems that support long-term character progression. With the release of Version 0.3 and the introduction of The Third Edict, players are seeing major shifts in how they acquire the permanent upgrades that were once tied to the old difficulty system in Path of Exile 1. Cruel difficulty is gone, replaced by new campaign Acts and POE 2 Chaos Orbs, and with it comes a redesigned method of rewarding players with permanent stat and resistance boosts.
In this article, we’ll explore the changes to the campaign structure, how permanent upgrades work in PoE2, what this means for long-term character building, and why these changes reflect GGG’s broader design philosophy for the sequel.
The Legacy of Permanent Upgrades in Path of Exile 1
To understand the importance of this redesign, we need to look back at the original Path of Exile campaign. In PoE1, players progressed through three difficulty tiers—Normal, Cruel, and Merciless—each essentially repeating the same acts with tougher monsters. Progressing into Cruel and Merciless granted access to permanent stat and resistance bonuses. These included things like extra passive points, improved life or mana pools, and crucial resistance boosts to prepare players for the harsher endgame.
While this system worked, it had drawbacks. Running through the same acts three times could feel repetitive, and the bonuses sometimes felt like mandatory checkboxes rather than rewarding moments of progression. GGG has acknowledged for years that while the stat upgrades themselves were valuable, the system that delivered them was ripe for improvement.
Enter Path of Exile 2: A Single-Length Campaign
With PoE2, GGG has removed the multi-difficulty structure entirely. Instead of repeating the story three times, players progress through a longer, single campaign with distinct acts. This not only streamlines the leveling experience but also gives GGG more room to weave a continuous narrative without redundancy.
The replacement of Cruel difficulty with Act 4 and the Interludes marks a fundamental change in how character power is earned. Instead of unlocking upgrades by completing the same bosses on harder settings, players now gain these permanent bonuses as one-time rewards integrated into the expanded campaign itself.
Version 0.3 and The Third Edict
The latest update, Version 0.3, introduces the Third Edict, which effectively reshapes how these campaign-long progression rewards are structured. Where previously Cruel difficulty acted as a checkpoint that granted bonuses for surviving harsher conditions, now the game distributes these rewards throughout the campaign’s Acts and Interludes.
Players completing specific tasks—such as defeating a major boss, overcoming a challenging dungeon, or resolving a key story event—will unlock permanent stat improvements. These can include:
Resistances: Permanent boosts to elemental resistances (fire, cold, lightning) and sometimes chaos resistance.
Core Stats: Permanent increases to strength, dexterity, or intelligence.
Defenses: Additional life, mana, or energy shield.
Skill Point Rewards: In some cases, quests can still grant passive skill points that expand your build potential.
This new distribution mirrors the idea of “natural growth” during a campaign rather than forcing players through repetitive difficulty tiers. Each upgrade feels tied to your journey through Wraeclast rather than just a checkbox for rerunning old content.
Why Replace Cruel Difficulty?
The removal of Cruel difficulty was more than just a cosmetic change. It reflects a shift in philosophy: player time is valuable, and replaying the same campaign three times is no longer the design GGG wants to carry forward. With PoE2 aiming to compete in a modern ARPG landscape, its campaign needs to feel fresh, rewarding, and narratively continuous.
Permanent upgrades tied to Cruel difficulty were always somewhat artificial. For many players, these bonuses felt less like a reward and more like an obligation—mandatory checkpoints that slowed down the real goal: reaching the endgame maps and leagues. By embedding these rewards into the single, continuous campaign, GGG keeps the sense of progression intact while cutting away the tedium.
How the New System Feels in Practice
For players experiencing Version 0.3, the new system changes how you think about campaign pacing. Instead of grinding through Cruel to hit resistance caps, you’ll now earn those caps by progressing naturally.
For example:
After completing a major Act 3 boss, you might receive a permanent +15% to all elemental resistances, ensuring you’re ready for the tougher enemies in Act 4.
Finishing an Interlude might grant a +30 flat life boost, shoring up survivability.
By Act 6, completing a critical questline could reward a +20 intelligence bonus, unlocking new gem requirements without needing to hunt for specific gear.
This ensures that character strength scales appropriately with the increasing difficulty of monsters, while also making progression feel meaningful. Every boss fight or campaign milestone now doubles as a character investment moment, not just a narrative hurdle.
Implications for Character Building
Permanent upgrades have always been integral to character optimization. Without them, characters often feel underpowered compared to the intended endgame curve. In PoE2, the streamlined system makes these upgrades:
More Predictable: Players can expect key resistance and stat boosts to arrive at certain stages, reducing early gear pressure.
Less Tedious: No more grinding the same story multiple times. You hit your bonuses naturally.
More Flexible: Because upgrades are tied to story tasks, builds that would otherwise struggle with early resistances (like heavy strength builds needing dex for gem requirements) gain breathing room.
For example, a summoner build that relies heavily on intelligence won’t feel bottlenecked in the early Acts because the campaign itself will grant the intelligence boosts necessary to wield their key gems.
Balancing Endgame Transition
One of the hardest balancing acts in PoE has always been the transition from campaign to endgame. In PoE1, new players often reached maps under-prepared because they hadn’t stacked enough resistances or survivability. The bonuses from Cruel and Merciless were meant to solve this, but many players skipped or rushed them, leading to frustration.
By restructuring permanent upgrades into the natural campaign flow, GGG ensures every character entering the endgame has:
Sufficient elemental resistances.
Baseline defensive and offensive stats.
Enough attribute points to support diverse gem setups.
This design reduces the chance of hitting a “wall” at the campaign’s end, making the leap into mapping smoother and more welcoming to both veterans and newcomers.
Campaign Rewards vs. Optional Content
One question players often ask is whether these permanent bonuses are mandatory or optional. In Version 0.3, GGG has tied most upgrades to main story tasks, ensuring players can’t miss them unless they deliberately skip entire sections. However, some Interludes and side quests may offer additional permanent benefits as optional rewards.
This creates a healthy balance:
Mainline rewards guarantee that all builds are viable in the endgame.
Optional rewards give completionists and explorers a sense of extra payoff.
Players who want to optimize their character fully will still have an incentive to engage with side content, but casual players can rest assured that simply following the campaign’s main path is enough to succeed.
Comparing PoE2 to Other ARPGs
PoE2’s system of permanent upgrades through the campaign echoes design trends in other ARPGs while keeping its unique flavor. Games like Diablo IV and Last Epoch also tie permanent character growth to campaign milestones rather than multiple difficulty runs. However, GGG goes a step further by weaving upgrades into both narrative and mechanical progression.
Instead of abstract bonuses, PoE2 often contextualizes them:
A fire resistance boost might come after defeating a fire-themed boss.
An intelligence upgrade could follow a story beat involving ancient knowledge.
This not only enhances immersion but also reinforces the sense that your character is truly evolving alongside the story.
The Third Edict and the Future of Campaign Design
The introduction of the Third Edict in Version 0.3 is just the beginning. GGG has made it clear that they plan to keep refining the campaign experience up until release. We can expect further adjustments to where and how permanent upgrades are earned, as well as potential expansions on what types of upgrades are available.
Some possible directions include:
Customization: Allowing players to choose between different permanent bonuses at certain points.
Scaling Rewards: Tailoring upgrades differently for solo self-found players vs. trade league players.
Narrative Tie-ins: Expanding the thematic link between story events and the upgrades they reward.
If history is any indicator, GGG will continue iterating based on community feedback, ensuring the final product feels both rewarding and balanced.
Conclusion
Path of Exile 2 is steadily carving its identity as both a spiritual successor and a modern reimagining of the ARPG formula. The removal of Cruel difficulty and the introduction of Act 4, Interludes, and the Third Edict mark a pivotal shift in how permanent upgrades are earned. By integrating stat and resistance boosts directly into the campaign, GGG has streamlined progression cheap POE 2 Chaos Orbs, reduced tedium, and created a more natural flow from early game to endgame.
For veterans, this means a smoother leveling experience without sacrificing depth. For newcomers, it means less confusion and frustration when stepping into the dark, brutal world of Wraeclast. And for everyone, it’s a clear sign that GGG is serious about making Path of Exile 2 not just a bigger game, but a smarter, more player-friendly one.
As Version 0.3 shows, permanent upgrades are no longer just “mandatory chores.” They’re meaningful milestones that make every act of the campaign feel like a step forward in your character’s journey—a journey that promises to be just as punishing, rewarding, and unforgettable as fans expect from the Path of Exile franchise.
